Evaluating Presidential Commissions: Prof. Amy Zegart

On NPR’s Morning Edition, Ari Shapiro interviews Amy Zegart on the value of presidential commissions, especially under the Obama administration.

Amy Zegart, an associate professor of public policy at UCLA, has analyzed every presidential commission spanning 20 years. "Commissions are really used on every topic imaginable," she says, "from Arctic research and things that you've never heard of to major public policy scandals and controversies of the day, like the current oil leak in the Gulf. "They're almost worthless in terms of policy impact, but they have tremendous political value, which is why presidents and members of Congress keep using them," Zegart says.